20 Best Japanese Movies of All Time

Above, Shin Godzilla made the list.

Lists of "best of" things, especially of music and movies, are subjective. There can be no definitive lists as everyone has their own preferences and opinions.

Japan Web Magazine has posted their list of "20 Best Japanese Movies of All Time". As one would expect, Akira Kurosawa directed some of them. Happily, I have some of them in my personal library. Also, a Godzilla movie actually made the list: Shin Godzilla (2016). 

They begin with:

Japan has shown a significant presence in the global film industry for a long time even aside from the recent explosive success of Japanese animated movies. It is difficult to exactly define a Japanese movie, however, it includes films that are made by Japanese directors or actors, filmed in Japan, or composed of Japanese language if you make a broad definition.

Looking back on a long history of the cinema of Japan, its origin can be identified around the end of 19th century, when early short movies were originated by Japanese cinematographers incorporating the Thomas Edison’s Kinetoscope: for example, Bake Jizo and Shinin no sosei by Shiro Asano.

During the 1950s, the Japanese movies that developed independently from the original style with the unique culture were establishing the international reputation through global film festivals. The Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon (1950) won the Golden Lion at the 12th Venice Film Festival, followed by the Kenji Mizoguchi’s The Life of Oharu (1952) which got the International Prize at the 13th Venice Film Festival; Ugetsu (1953) and Sansho the Bailiff (1954) achieved the Silver Lion Award at the 14th and 15th Venice International Film Festival.

The current fame of Japanese cinema have been led by more movies created by several mass movie production companies such as Toei, Toho and Shochiku after the 1950s. Nowadays, Japanese movies are being distributed with subtitles and dubbings of international languages worldwide through varied online platforms. An anime, one of the most popular modern genres, is getting more famous around the world, which contains Studio Ghibli’s works.

For international cinema lovers, here is the list of 20 best Japanese movies of all time which are produced by Japanese directors. You can enjoy a range of films from the traditional masterpieces to the latest animations.

Let’s have fun with this list of well-selected recommendations!

To see the full list, go here. 

BBC: Why Is "Seven Samurai" So Good?

Above, the Seven Samurai mural at the main entrance to Toho Studios. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Okay, movie fans! Here's one for you.

Many Japanese kaiju fans have broadened their movie-watching interests into other genres with some focus on prominent Japanese movie directors. Akira Kurosawa is one of them. Many Japanese movie fans have enjoyed a long list of Kurosawa movies, most prominently is Seven Samurai (1954). This includes me. I have a copy of Seven Samurai.

The BBC has an interesting article on Seven Samurai, "Why is Seven Samurai so good?"

It begins with:

Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954) is a three-and-a half-hour-long black-and-white epic set in war-torn, 16th-Century Japan. As elevator pitches go, it’s hardly ideal, yet not only did Seven Samurai take first place in BBC Culture’s 100 greatest foreign-language film poll, with 41 critics (20 per cent of the total) voting for it, Kurosawa was one of the most popular directors overall, with three of his other films (Rashomon, Ikiru and Ran) all making the top 100. Tellingly, though, Kurosawa’s global appeal didn’t reach as far as the Japanese critics who took part; not one of them voted for Seven Samurai, or any other Kurosawa film, preferring the subtler homegrown talents of Yasujirô Ozu and Kenji Mizoguchi. But perhaps that’s what we should have expected. Even during his most successful film-making years, Kurosawa was often held in higher esteem abroad than in his own country.

The article is an interesting read. I recommend it!

Interestingly, Seven Samurai and Godzilla were both boxoffice hits in 1954 and both are honored with murals at the main entrance to Toho Studios in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo.

To read the full article, go here. 

Banno Article In The Hollywood Reporter

Above, J. D. Lees and Yoshimitsu Banno at G-FEST in 2005. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Hollywood Reporter posted an obituary article on the passing of Godzilla vs. Hedorah director Yoshimitsu Banno.

It begins with:

Japanese director Yoshimitsu Banno, who made his debut with Godzilla vs. Hedorah in 1971, died of a subarachnoid hemorrhage at his home in Kawasaki on Sunday. He was 86. 

Released in the U.S. in 1972 as Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster, the film was the 11th in the Godzilla series and featured an anti-pollution message, following the anti-nuclear messages of the earlier films.

The article also noted that Banno was a four-time assistant director to Akira Kurosawa.

To read the article, go here.

Haruo Nakajima Mad Monster Party Panel Highlights

Above, Haruo Nakajima discusses his career as a monster suit-actor.
Photo by Jeff Blanken.

It has been a week since I got back to Los Angeles from the Mad Monster Party in Charlotte, North Carolina.  It was a big show with plenty of people attending and having a grand time.  Fortunately, the venue that held the convention, the Blake Hotel, was more than adequate to handle the hordes of monster fans.

On Sunday, March 24, the last day of the show, the panel discussion with Haruo "Mr. Godzilla" Nakajima was held with yours truly moderating.  The ballroom was huge and the panel was well-attended with about 75% of the seats occupied.

Along with Haruo Nakajima and myself, we also had daughter Sonoe Nakajima and translator Yoko Connelly.  Sonoe assisted Yoko whenever she needed help in some of the kaiju names and other aspects of the movies she was unfamiliar with.

Prior to the panel, we went over the general points of the panel that I planned to cover.  Naturally, once the panel started, with very little prodding, Mr. Nakajima ran with the discussion.

Earlier in the morning, we tested the audio and video equipment in the ballroom.  The audio equipment worked fine (with Akira Ifukube's Godzilla tracks playing) as did the video equipment (at least during the test it did) to project stills.  When we had the panel discussion, the video equipment became uncooperative at times.

Above, the Haruo Nakajima panel.  From left, Armand Vaquer, Haruo Nakajima,
Yoko Connelly and Sonoe Nakajima.  Photo by Jeff Blanken.

Some of the highlights of the discussion were:

• Katsumi Tezuka and he were both chosen to play Godzilla in the 1954 original.  But Nakajima (age 25 at the time) had better endurance than Tezuka.  Tezuka could only last for about five meters in the suit before collapsing.  Nakajijma could go on to ten meters.  He said, "Strong is better than weak."

• Katsumi Tezuka went on to play Anguirus in the first sequel to Godzilla, Godzilla's Counter-Attack (or Godzilla Raids Again or Gigantis, The Fire Monster) in 1955, according to Nakajima.

• Fighting King Ghidorah was difficult as the heads and wings were all manipulated by wires (with a man inside the suit) making it seem to Nakajima that he was fighting a machine.  He would run at Ghidorah and bounce off as if hitting a wall.

• Nagoya Castle was accidentally demolished by a crew member and had to be rebuilt at a cost of $5,000 and a month's delay while filming Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964).

• Nakajima also said that the Godzilla suit did not get its head damaged during filming of Mothra vs. Godzilla (even though the upper jaw was jiggly during filming).  He said that was just a rumor originating from Godzilla fandom.

• He confirmed that he fell eight feet in the Rodan suit during filming of Rodan in 1956 when wires holding him snapped.  Fortunately, he was unhurt.

• He was so skillful in his suit performances that Toho had him choreograph the monster fights.  He pretty much had free reign while doing so.

• Before Toho went with smaller, mechanized Mothra caterpillars, he and several others were inside the caterpillar suit in Mothra (1961).  He was the lead person inside (at the head).  

• He was invited to act in Hollywood but had to turn down the offer as he was needed to make the next feature, King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962).

Nakajima took some questions from the audience (we were scheduled for an hour in the room, but we went a little beyond that to take a few audience questions).  Here's a couple:

• One of the questioners asked his opinion on Hollywood's Godzilla efforts.  He said he hoped that the Legendary Pictures Godzilla (now filming in Vancouver, British Columbia) looks and acts like Godzilla.

• He was also asked what was it like to work for director Akira Kurosawa.  Nakajima said that whether one was a movie's star or just an extra, if Kurosawa didn't like his performance or felt that person didn't take the role seriously, he would tell him to "go home, I don't need you."  Then he would re-cast the role.

At the end of the panel, Nakajima received an appreciative standing-ovation by the attendees.

Fox Charlotte has a cool photo gallery.  To see it, go here.